Antiqua Gallery presents a new chapter of its summer exhibition by the sea at maison bardot, introducing a dialogue between its curated selection of historical design and a group of ceramic sculptures by American artist Brian Rochefort (Rhode Island, USA, 1985), presented in collaboration with Massimodecarlo Gallery. On view from 18 July, the exhibition brings together twentieth-century European design and contemporary sculpture within the Cycladic setting of Antiparos.

Rochefort’s sculptures are presented in dialogue with Antiqua’s curated selection of twentieth-century furniture and lighting, featuring works by Gae Aulenti, Superstudio, Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Ettore Sottsass, Ilmari Tapiovaara and other leading European designers. Spanning the 1950s to the 1990s, the selection reflects the gallery’s ongoing research into post-war European design, bringing together pieces distinguished by their sculptural quality, exceptional craftsmanship and historical significance.

Rather than contrasting contemporary art with historical design, the exhibition reveals unexpected affinities through shared explorations of materiality, colour, form and craftsmanship. Together, the works create an immersive environment where different disciplines and periods inform and enrich one another.



The exhibition includes five works by Rochefort, created between 2020 and 2024, offering an overview of different moments in the artist’s practice. Renowned for his vibrant colours, richly textured surfaces and organic, almost volcanic forms, Rochefort develops each sculpture through an intensive process of layering clay and glaze across multiple firings, creating works of remarkable material complexity. Alongside three large-scale sculptures, the exhibition features two works from the Paint Can series, inspired by the iconic paint cans visible in photographs of Francis Bacon’s studio and informed by the gestural abstraction of artists including Joan Mitchell, Willem de Kooning and Albert Oehlen.

Conceived by architect Andreas Kostopoulos of MPNYC, maison bardot provides the architectural framework for this dialogue. Defined by fluid domestic spaces, lime-plaster surfaces, terracotta floors and sculptural display elements, the house becomes an active participant in the exhibition, allowing the works to engage with the changing light and atmosphere of the Cycladic landscape.

 

ANTIQUA Gallery, by the sea
July – August, 2026
Maison Bardot, Antiparos (GR)

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